Dr. Richard Schwartz | Healing Collective Ancestral Burdens

Nov 18, 2025

Dr. Richard C. Schwartz, the founder of Internal Family Systems, dives into the transformative power of group healing and the impact of ancestral trauma. He shares insights on legacy burdens that drive current behaviors and societal conflicts. The conversation explores therapeutic strategies to heal these inherited wounds and emphasizes the connection between therapy and spirituality. Richard discusses how collective healing can mend social fragmentation and even strengthen democracy, shedding light on the urgent need for healing our shared history.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Legacy Burdens Show Up Internally

Ancestral and collective traumas (legacy burdens) often show up inside individuals as parts carrying scenes not from their lives.
Richard Schwartz found group processes can amplify self-energy and help people release these inherited burdens.

ADVICE

Use Group Self-Energy To Unlock Healing

Use group-facilitated exercises to generate collective self-energy that helps protectors relax and open space for healing.
Have participants report from Self to create a virtuous cycle of safety and deeper release.

INSIGHT

Healing Strengthens Democracy

Democracy relies on voters and leaders accessing Self rather than acting from burden-driven protectors.
Burdened populations and leaders can produce individualistic and nationalistic policies that weaken democratic functioning.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

This week, Thomas sits down with Dr. Richard Schwartz, the founder of Internal Family Systems, for an in-depth discussion on the power of healing in groups, intergenerational and ancestral trauma healing, and the relationship between therapy and spirituality—all topics that are featured in their forthcoming book; Releasing Our Burdens: A Guide to Healing Individual, Ancestral, and Collective Trauma.

Thomas and Dr. Schwartz dive deep into the phenomena of ancestral and collective "legacy burdens", which are traumas from our shared past that unconsciously drive our current behavior and societal conflicts. They share therapeutic and spiritual strategies for addressing these inherited wounds, and discuss the urgent need for what Thomas calls a “collective healing architecture” to mend social fragmentation and revitalize our democratic systems.

They also share insights on the importance of our interconnection with the natural world and the need for safe spaces to access “Self Energy,” where the profound impacts of individual parts work can amplify collective healing.

✨ Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube:

👉 https://youtu.be/NnAcV8Y_fqg

Video episodes are typically posted at 8am PT/ 11am ET

✨ Pre-order Thomas and Dr. Schwartz's co-authored book, Releasing Our Burdens, here:

👉 https://www.releasingourburdens.com

...and join Thomas, Dr. Schwartz, and Sounds True founder Tami Simon on December 2 for a free LIVE event to celebrate their book's publication - From Burden to Belonging: Healing Trauma Across Generations

We'll explore how we can release our burdens, become more resilient, and help create a more flourishing world.

👉 https://www.releasingourburdens.com/event

It's not too late to join Thomas' fall course: ✨ The Path of the Courageous Soul ✨

It's a 5-month journey to transform trauma into wisdom, fulfill your purpose, and navigate uncertain times for personal and collective evolution.

You’ll cultivate the inner resilience and clarity needed to stand steady in times of upheaval and learn practical tools to regulate your nervous system and connect to your inner sources of grace and guidance.

And as a member of the Point of Relation community, you'll receive a special $200 discount when you enroll. Learn more and join the course here:

👉 https://pathofthecourageoussoul.com/podcast

✨ Sign up for updates by visiting our website:

👉 https://pointofrelationpodcast.com

✨ Richard C. Schwartz, PhD, is the creator of Internal Family Systems, a highly effective, evidence-based therapeutic model that de-pathologizes the multipart personality. He is the founder of the IFS Institute and is on the faculty of Harvard Medical School. He is the author of several books, including No Bad Parts and You Are the One You’ve Been Waiting For.

Connect with Dr. Schwartz here:

👉 https://ifs-institute.com

Thomas Hübl, PhD, is a renowned teacher, author, and international facilitator who works within the complexity of systems and cultural change, integrating the core insights of the great wisdom traditions and mysticism with the discoveries of science. Since the early 2000s, he has led large-scale events and courses on the healing of collective trauma.

In addition to Attuned, he is the author of Healing Collective Trauma: A Process for Integrating Our Intergenerational and Cultural Wounds. He has served as an advisor and guest faculty for universities and organizations, as a coach for CEOs and organizational leaders, and is currently a visiting scholar at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University.

✨ Connect with Thomas here:

Website: https://thomashuebl.com/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/Thomas.Huebl.Sangha/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thomashuebl/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ThomasHuebl

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thomashuebl

Take our listener survey! We'd love your feedback on which topics and guests are resonating with you and which ones you'd like to hear more about in the future:

👉 https://forms.gle/uoygyKMmHeUHeJFD9

** DISCLAIMER: This episode includes mention of psychedelic-assisted therapy. If you wish to learn more about or pursue this type of treatment, please first consult with a trained and licensed professional.